The Devil Be Damned

by Ali Vali

  “Cain’s hiring them young, don’t you think?” Mano asked. In the dim light of the weak spotlights Sabana appeared to be maybe sixteen. “You never did answer my question as to who she is.”

  “Remember Rick? That’s his little sister, and from what Cain said she’s got a few pent-up anger issues.”

  Sabana walked toward the men, speaking so softly none of them could make out what she was saying. They lowered their rifles enough that she appeared less apprehensive about approaching them.

  “What you looking for?” the big one asked. “Girl, you know what time it is?”

  “Hey, if you’re hungry you can come inside,” the other cut in, elbowing his partner. “We was fixing to heat something up.”

  “That’s a good idea, Boone.”

  They were all walking up the stairs to the porch together, the men so fixated on Sabana’s backside that they forgot about Simon. That was their first mistake because she sliced through the bigger man’s Achilles tendon, bringing him down, and the other turned with a shocked expression, giving Sabana the chance to drive her knife into his shoulder. It wasn’t fatal, but it made him drop his weapon.

  “I hope we have the right place,” Remi said, and laughed, betting a month’s take that Simon had already been inside checking the layout and knew it was safe to attack.

  “Good work, Sabana,” Simon told her as she kicked the rifles into the yard and out of their reach.

  “You’re going to pay for that, you old bitch,” the big man yelled, holding the back of his leg like it would come off if he let go. “Come over here and let me show you some pain.”

  “This guy is either an idiot or the loss of blood had weakened his brain,” Sabana said, doing as he asked.

  When she was close he grabbed her, making Remi and Mano run across the yard. Before they could pry his hand off Sabana’s forearm, she stuck two fingers from her other hand up his nose and pulled so hard Remi figured she’d rip the damn thing off his face. “We came in here and cut you for no reason, so do we give you the impression that all of a sudden we’ll forget that and lay down and grovel?” she asked the guy, who was sobbing now.

  He said something that sounded so nasal Remi didn’t understand him, but it sounded like, “Let me go.” He’d released Sabana, so she seemed to pull her knife back out of thin air and pressed the tip to the soft tissue right under his eye. “Stop moving or I’ll rip this one out and show it to the only good eye you’ll have left.” Her threat made both of them stop moving.

  “So much for on-the-job training,” Mano whispered as he picked up the two rifles, admiring them in the light. One of them made him whistle. “A Winchester repeating-arms rifle. Papi said he had one of these in Cuba.”

  “Put it down, mister, it belonged to our daddy,” the small guy said.

  “What’s your name?” Mano cocked the old rifle he and Remi had seen in so many Western movies. “I’d rather not shoot you right here because I’d have to carry your big ass inside, so let’s have it.”

  “Boone Pritchard,” he said, trying to reach around to put pressure on his wound.

  “And you?” Sabana asked, pressing the knife deeper.

  “Timothy.”

  “You’re Timothy Pritchard?” Remi asked, coming closer to look at the guy. Down the side of his face was the souvenir Dallas had left him years before.

  “How’d you know my name?” he asked.

  “I’m psychic,” she said, motioning them all inside. That he was alive made her hurt for Dallas, who’d not only carried the guilt of thinking she’d killed him, but had suffered the humiliation Bob poured on her because she thought he had evidence she had. “After we get comfortable I’ll tell your fortune.”

  *

  “Did you get a look at the boss’s face?” Lionel asked Claire, just the two of them in the van. Joe was meeting with Annabel and a few other agents since U.S. Attorney Talbot had opened an inquiry into Cain’s arrest after he saw the surveillance tape from the parking garage. At this point they weren’t afraid of losing their jobs but could possibly be reassigned.

  “If I get somewhere it snows about a hundred feet a year, I’ll seriously kick Brent Cehan’s ass. How in the hell do you get that frustrated after being here like ten minutes? We’ve been at this for how long, and no one’s given in to the temptation of pulling Cain over and knocking her head in.”

  They weren’t watching the monitors since there’d been zero movement out of the house since Cain arrived from the hospital. “And if she’s smart enough to elude arrest up to now, how do you think she’ll handle the gift that big dumbass handed her?”

  “If you’re talking about Brent, he should be sent back to wherever he came from.” He glanced at the monitor, watching Muriel’s car stop at the gate briefly before it opened. “You notice something?”

  “What, that the evil cousins have made up?” Claire took her headphones off.

  Lionel shook his head. Claire had lasted longer than he had listening to all the “Oompa Loompa” lyrics from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. They were catchy at first but then made you want to run screaming down the street. Cain’s special gift for picking such listening material revealed her wicked sense of humor.

  “Did you find anything off about Shelby’s reassignment?” he asked, thinking Claire wouldn’t betray his confidences.

  “If your guess is her sudden seriousness with Muriel has gotten her a shiny new undercover assignment, then we’re of like minds,” she said to him, putting her finger up. “But if that’s not what you think, then forget everything I just said.”

  “This is between us,” he reassured her. “But I doubt she went with Muriel only for that reason.”

  “She’s not a prostitute for the Bureau, Lionel, but I do admire her for taking advantage of the situation. I was hoping she’d have found something by now so we could get her back.”

  His phone rang. “Nothing yet,” he said, mouthing Joe’s name to her. “She met with Detective Sept Savoie this morning, then Remi’s assistant Juno before she got discharged. We stopped Savoie on the way out, but she said Cain was an old family friend and her visit had nothing to do with our case. Of course she didn’t technically lie since we found out about the Luis murder site after she left.”

  “So no movement at all?” Joe asked.

  “Her face makes ground meat look good, Joe, and she needed help getting out of the car, so I’m fairly sure she’s in for the day.” He shrugged at Claire and put his hand up when she kept whispering, “What?” “I don’t keep a record of that kind of thing, but I’ll try and come up with something.”

  “You don’t have to lie, Lionel,” Joe said, his voice a whisper. “I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m sure you can, but regardless of what equipment you’re using, it eventually has to be taken offline for maintenance.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Talbot will understand why you chose to do that on my order precisely when Cain was getting her head bashed against the trunk of her car.”

  “You’re not in here with me every minute, so you have no idea how many times we have to turn stuff off. Like I said, I won’t lie, but in my report I don’t have to include when my supervisor told me to take the equipment offline.”

  Claire was staring at him when he hung up. “I’m not willing to lie.”

  “No one’s asking you to, and I realize you’re new to the team, but this situation isn’t worth Joe’s job.”

  “Let me finish. I won’t lie to cover Brent Cehan because he threw himself under George Talbot’s wheels all by himself, but how can I back up whatever you come up with for Joe? I want to catch Cain too, but not using Brent’s methods. You saw how Savoie looked at us when we stopped her to talk. Cops from cop families don’t tolerate too many shortcuts, and what happened to Cain was a major shortcut.”

  “If you want, I can turn in the report without your name on it.”

  “Like you said, Lionel, I may be the new kid on the team, but I’m on the team.
Did Joe say it was all right to come in?”

  “He’s arranging to have NOPD patrol, but we can go in and fill out some paperwork so we can get back in the field when Cain’s ready to rock again. Want to lay bets that we nail her for killing Brent?” he said, and laughed. “I shouldn’t say that because even if he’s a macho idiot, he’s one of us.”

  Claire laughed too, as if knowing he wasn’t serious. “Do you think we need to give Shelby fair warning that Muriel seems in the fold again?”

  “I’m not sure when she’ll be back or if she plans to work any time soon, but why don’t we pay her a visit and bring it up? Like you said, if she’s undercover, that’s not the only reason she’s with Muriel, but I’d rather have all the facts. I’m sure Muriel cares for her and won’t do anything stupid—”

  “But her family loyalty hasn’t been truly tested.”

  “Right, and I don’t want her caught in a battle between Cain and Muriel, especially if Muriel has closer ties to Cain no matter what.”

  “Agent Hicks mentioned that the California office in charge of the Phillips murders considers Cain a possible suspect for the hits. What’s your take on that?”

  “If Cain is our killer, all the time I’ve spent watching her has been a waste and I don’t know her at all. She’s capable, sure, but I don’t see her being responsible for that, though I’m sure Shelby won’t want to hear it.” Lionel shut down the equipment and opened the door that led to the driving compartment, letting Claire go first. “We’ll have to worry about that soon enough if they’re right, but we need to keep our team together so we can finish this.”

  “I’m so glad you’re so optimistic.”

  “Nah, I’m just too young to be completely jaded.” He started the engine and took one last peek at the house, but the damn song he’d listened to for hours popped into his head again. “We’ll catch her eventually, but after it happens I’ll miss her.”

  “You’re right. Cain Casey’s one of a kind.”

  “Of course, that’s what the agents following Dalton Casey said,” he told her, coming close to waving to the guard on the wall. “Cain already has two and another one on the way.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Do you promise you won’t do any of the heavy lifting?” Emma asked Cain from the circle of her arms. Ramon was waiting for her downstairs, and the security crew outside had called and reported that her babysitters from across the street had pulled out. “Remember what the doctor said. You have a beautiful brain that matches the rest of you, and I’m in love with the whole package.”

  “My brain is fine,” she said, kissing Emma and enjoying the way Emma’s lips parted and let her in. “My groin, though, is another story, Mrs. Casey.”

  “You can stay home and let me take care of you while Katlin tends to whatever you think you need to go out for.”

  “Temptation, thy name is Emma,” she said, kissing her again. “This won’t take long, lass, so keep the bed warm and don’t bother with pajamas.”

  “I know you’re a multitasker, so think about something while you’re out,” Emma said, pressing her breasts into her with enough force that she could feel the hard nipples despite their clothing.

  “What’s that?” she asked, unable to take her eyes off Emma’s cleavage.

  “I’m at that point in the pregnancy where I crave sex,” Emma said, putting her hand between Cain’s legs and cupping her groin in her palm. “I’ve craved your touch from the first day you put your hands on me, but sometimes like now I need you to lay me down and fuck me until I can’t take any more.”

  Cain was sure Emma’s hand got hot after she finished talking because the little speech made her so wet and hard she was actually contemplating letting Katlin go without her. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “I can’t help it. It’s not like I’m lying.” Emma rubbed against her, which pushed the right button. “And you seem to feel better, so…” Emma stopped and pulled her shirt down, exposing her slightly larger breasts to the cool air of the bedroom.

  “I do feel better and I do need to go out for a while, but nothing says I can’t have a taste before I do.” The dresser was the closest piece of furniture so she lifted Emma up, taking her skirt with her. She moved back momentarily only to let Emma unbutton her pants so they’d pool at her ankles. “Are you sure? A little while ago you were more worried about Dallas, and that threat’s not over.”

  “You think she’d deny me this?” The question came as Emma put her hand between Cain’s legs again and immediately took her clitoris between her fingers and squeezed. Cain moaned louder than was prudent with Hannah and Hayden a few doors away doing their homework. “I know Dallas will be okay. She’ll come back a little bruised and her heart will take time to relax again from the emotional battering, but we’ll all help her fight back to happiness.”

  “You know it,” Cain said, thinking that if Emma pumped and squeezed any harder she’d have to stop talking or the beautiful brain everyone kept talking about would short-circuit. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want slow,” Emma said, slowing her hand to prove her point. “And I want to be filled,” she said, spreading her legs and lying back. “But I’ll settle for fast because you’re not leaving without putting your fingers in me.”

  “God,” she said as she slid her fingers in with no problem because Emma was so wet and open. “You feel so good.” The walls of Emma’s sex clamped down on her fingers and she wanted to press her lips to her sex, but it was important to Emma that they come together. She knew it from the moment Emma had undressed her and touched her. As much as they both enjoyed spending time giving the other their full attention, making love like this face-to-face, feeling the orgasms build simultaneously was important so they could see what they felt in this most intimate of acts.

  Cain kept her eyes open as she moved her fingers, feeling how hard Emma was every time her thumb hit her clit on the way in. Emma hooked her feet behind her knees and opened her mouth as if encouraging Cain to put her tongue back inside and making Cain enjoy the carnal sound of her hand slapping against Emma’s skin as she gave her what she wanted.

  “Right there, baby,” Emma said, pulling her mouth away and speeding up her hand. “Don’t stop,” Emma said, her voice wavering as she bit her lip. “Don’t stop,” she repeated, and her feet gripped Cain harder.

  Since Emma was still moving her fingers, Cain had to come or step away from Emma’s touch, but Emma was breathing like she was right there with her. They would reach the peak together, so she bent nearer and Emma put her free arm around her neck, biting her shoulder to keep from screaming. After feeling like crap for the good part of two days, it was liberating to stand there and pump her hips into her wife—rhythmically, at first, then with spastic jerks because her body had lost control to Emma’s fingers.

  The strength left Cain’s legs, but Emma pulled her in and held her up as she panted in her ear. “You do give the most wonderful going-away presents, and the best part is you won’t be gone that long.”

  “Why’s that the best part?” Cain asked as soon as she got her breathing back under control.

  “Because your homecoming gifts are even better. When you come back you can deliver that delicious ending, but you can take your time,” Emma said, kissing her earlobe. “Go out and do what needs to be done, but when you finish, be prepared for me to be demanding.”

  “I can live with those kinds of threats, love,” she said, standing up and laughing when she tripped over her pants and almost fell down on her backside. “I’ll have to take care of this asshole who keeps dropping dead people at my door fast, so I can cater to your demands.”

  “I’d feel sorry for him, but anyone who makes you go out when you look like this,” Emma said, helping her with her clothes, then running her finger along the gash that Mark had stitched with small neat sutures, “deserves whatever he’s about to get. It’s not like he didn’t ask for it by killing people and stuffing them into boxes. You can�
��t ignore stuff like that forever.”

  Cain stopped halfway through putting her coat on and stared at Emma, thinking her mother had come back from the grave and taken over her wife’s soul. “You don’t sound like yourself, lass.”

  “Do you remember the day we walked up to the small lake by Dad’s place?”

  “That day will never leave me no matter how many times I get hit,” Cain said, tapping the unbruised side of her head.

  “When I left for New Orleans with my heart in my hand, hoping you’d see me again, Daddy told me you would.” Cain opened her arms and Emma almost collapsed into them. “I never thought he was right, and I went because I couldn’t live another day without you. That might sound corny, but I was dying there in all that empty land wishing for what I had thrown away.”

  “I’ve already told you plenty of times that you need to stop beating yourself up over that. I might have these on the outside,” she said, pointing to the bruises on her face, “but you carry them on the inside, my love, and it’s past time to let them heal.” She put her hand flat over Emma’s heart. “And your father’s a wise man because he knew. I could’ve kept you out, but my heart would have been as empty as all that land you left behind.”

  “That day I took you up there,” Emma said, putting her hand over hers, “I saw it in your eyes, these beautiful eyes.” Emma outlined the tops of her cheek with her fingers. “You let me back in from the cold, and even though the weather was frigid, I felt warm for the first time since I’d left. It was a miracle that you let me back in and gave me all I’d wanted, and I never took that acceptance lightly. I understood what I needed to give you in return to earn the right to be with you.”